National Gallery of Art: Jazz in the Garden

The National Gallery of Art offers free jazz performances at Jazz in the Garden at its outdoor café every Friday evening throughout the summer, from mid-May through August. The concerts feature locally and nationally acclaimed musicians performing a wide variety of musical genres—African fusion, go go, Brazilian bluegrass, Dixieland, Czech jazz, Steel Pan Caribbean jazz, blues fusion, Brazilian jazz, soul, and more. Visitors can enjoy cocktails and a light dinner while listening to great music in a relaxed garden setting amid the Gallery's collection of large-scale sculpture by such modern and contemporary artists as Louise Bourgeois, Roy Lichtenstein, Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, and Roxy Paine. Arrive early for optimal seating.

As precautionary measure, the 2020 Jazz in the Garden series has been cancelled.

Location

The Pavilion Café, National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, located between 7th and 9th Streets NW, along Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC. The nearest Metro stations are Archives/Navy Memorial, Smithsonian and Judiciary Square.

Admission 

Admission is free.

Food and Drink

You may purchase food and beverages from the Pavilion Café and its carts located around the Garden or bring your own picnic. The Pavilion Café offers appetizers, sandwiches, pizzas, and salads indoors, while an outdoor grill provides barbecue pork sandwiches, jerk chicken sandwiches, and Italian sausages. New menu additions include a teriyaki Impossible burger with pineapple chutney or banh mi turkey burger with ginger soy aioli and Asian slaw. A variety of beverages, including beer, wine, sangria, and soda, are sold onsite. Note that alcoholic beverages must be purchased on site and are subject to confiscation if brought to the premises from outside.

Jazz in the Garden Performance Schedule

Concerts may be canceled due to excessive heat or inclement weather. For up-to-date information, visit www.nga.gov/jazz, or call (202) 289-3360.

About the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden

The 6.1-acre National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden opened on May 23, 1999, provides a distinctive backdrop for 21 monumental works of modern sculpture by internationally renowned artists. Visitors may enjoy spacious seating and walking areas amid the native American canopy and flowering trees, shrubs, ground covers, and perennials. The sculpture garden was given to the nation by The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation. Read more about the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden.

The Washington DC area offers dozens of free live performances throughout the year.